Has anyone had any luck with a 3E elemental wizard concept? I haven't tried it yet, but the PHB lack of elemental spells has usually been discouraging.

Some spell solutions would be to incorporate priest spells as needed, and change energy types in different spells. Or if you're brave, venture out into the Spell Compendium. And make lots of use of Summon Monster (elemental).

I'm also thinking that an elemental familiar would be cool. But it doesn't quite balance at the lowest levels. Plus, who wants a fire elemental sitting on his shoulder?:mad:

Inquisitor Tremayne

10-24-2009, 05:48 PM

I haven't tried it, but there is the Elemental Savant in the Complete Arcane.

But really all you really need is Energy Substitution, Spell Focus, maybe Greater Spell Focus, and lots of energy type spells. So you are basically a blaster caster. which means you will also want Spell Penetration too. Might be cool for a Sorcerer actually.

rabkala

10-26-2009, 07:56 PM

I had a very powerful elemental mage by usuing the elemental savant and some goodies from Frostburn. Piercing cold is awesome. Meta-magic rods are very useful and helpful for any wizard, but especially for specialized elementalists.

Pushkins

10-27-2009, 02:01 AM

I have tried to create such a thing. I go along the lines of a specialist wizard, anf tie in a feat of either Energy Affinity, or Energy Substitution. In addition, to balance the spell lists and playablity of the game to create a few spells of lesser or greater ability as some of the spells in the book. The DMG has a refrence table to determine effectiveness of new spells that adheres to spell level. Adopting spells from divine as well can work, just rename or recalibrate to Wizard/arcane.

I can throw a sample class structure out there in a while for you to look over, I'm in the middle of compiling all D&D 3.5 spells into one source, to my surprise I am at 176 1st level spells already, and still finishing letter T, It's goning to take me a bit to compile, since I am writing complete stats of the spells in an excel doc
:) Let me get back to you on this

DMMike

10-27-2009, 03:33 PM

Meta-magic rods: yes, a definite requirement for casters. The magicians in my game, 3.5, utilize implements like 4.0 casters (if they're worth their salt). Staves and orbs. These don't usually have spellcasting powers; they serve to enhance spellcasting.

It occurs to me that being an elemental wizard would be much harder than an elemental sorceror. The wizard would have to find or research each elemental spell. The sorceror would just learn elemental spells at each level.

The first step in creating the elemantalist would be turning Magic Missile into an elemental spell. A much later step would be figuring out how to deal with creatures immune or resistant to your specialty.

TheDarkestOfAngels

10-28-2009, 07:10 PM

Has anyone had any luck with a 3E elemental wizard concept? I haven't tried it yet, but the PHB lack of elemental spells has usually been discouraging.

Some spell solutions would be to incorporate priest spells as needed, and change energy types in different spells. Or if you're brave, venture out into the Spell Compendium. And make lots of use of Summon Monster (elemental).

I'm also thinking that an elemental familiar would be cool. But it doesn't quite balance at the lowest levels. Plus, who wants a fire elemental sitting on his shoulder?:mad:

I haven't personally tried it, but one of my players has been using an ice-mage for some time now with a significant degree of success (thanks to a lot of help, as he was new to wizards at the time of its creation).

Also, you could take a fire bat familiar (from the field folio, if I recall correctly.)

It really does depend on feat, spell, and other creation choices, as does most character builds.

DMMike

11-02-2009, 12:16 AM

How crazy does that ice-mage get?

I guess it depends on his level, but it would be cool to see:
Ice-armor (last-ditch protection)
Ice/frost elemental assistance
Aura of cold
Frostball (fireball)
Ice patch (grease)
Crystallize (spell for water-walking)
Shape Ice (for getting through water once it's frozen)

And probably, at 6th or 7th spell level, a spell for creating instantaneous ice-tombs.

Pushkins

11-04-2009, 11:44 AM

This thread has kind of shaped a new character I am going to play.

A few questions come up, one being of energy effects as to planar effects.

Air,Water,Fire, and Earth are the elemental planes

Energies taken from these planes can shape spells, Fire is rather simple to figure out Fire for Fire, yet I have not been able to read exactly how the rest of the energies relate to their planar energy

Fire, Cold, Electrical, Acid, Sonic are the energies that spells can be cast , arguablly Force is also a energy, but that is a different discussion.
It would seem to me the relationship to the planes and energy unfold like this;
Fire-- Fire
Water--Cold
Air--Electrical
Earth--Acid

Sonic is a bastard energy being mostly of force and deafening noise more closely related to a 5th elemental Force of life.

So in my self imposed limitation of spells, I am eaither going the water/cold or Air/Electrical route

My character is a Bloodline Sirine ( Homebrew bloodline)
Sorcerer / Cleric 1/1 I plan on hitting Mystic Theurge ASAP which is another reason why the planar effects related to energy have weight. Will keep you posted

¹ Able to breath air or water
₪ Soothing touch will heal 1d6+1 per HD of damage and +1 ability loss
▀ as per Charm person (DC= HD) effects last 4 hours to all who hear it
∆ Acts as Breath Weapon DC 14, 6d6 dmg & Deafness, Save Deafness
□ Aura protection- Armor: Deflection bonus equal to Charisma modifier

Pushkins

11-07-2009, 08:55 PM

The first step in creating the elemantalist would be turning Magic Missile into an elemental spell. A much later step would be figuring out how to deal with creatures immune or resistant to your specialty.

One of my points to argue is that force is in fact an energy type. Kinetic energy, much like the Sonic energy is also a kinetic energy coupled with noise for additional effects.

Through the use of the elemental substitution feat, you could change force to whatever energy type required to fufill the elementalist.

Summon Monster in the PHB refrences a creature type and an addition of celestial or fiendish templates. Swapping these out for an elemental template wouldn't be too difficult, mainly for Summon Monster I, since the smallest of elementals are 2 HD. Usuable for SMI but if you compare with say a celestial monkey, the small elemental wins out and may be unbalancing, however if an elemental specialist class is created, prehaps this may balance out over all by the additional restrictions of spells and abilities
--- Merged from Double Post ---
I have an update, if any would like to hear how I am going about an "elementalist" type mage.

Also have used the energy types relations to Planar qualities I mentioned before, Mainly that Air=Electricity and using the feat Energy Affinity and Elemental Theurgy, and when I can advance taking Mytsic Theurge, allowing electrical subtype spells synergy with Air Domain, adding effective caster levels of Cleric and Sorcerer to those spells.

DMMike

11-09-2009, 02:20 AM

Mixing in the elemental cleric - with turn/rebuke powers - is a pretty awesome idea. Works well with necromancy too, by the way.

I wouldn't require an elementalist to have dominion over an energy type though, mostly because it does get kind of complicated with the earth and air types. Force could be used in either case, if need be. Cold energy corresponds to the quasi-elemental frost or ice, but not directly to water or air.

Other quasi elementals - smoke, magma, and lightning.

Pushkins

11-19-2009, 02:01 AM

I need to revisit this . My approach has been conflicted and I now understand why.

The Elementalist is a term which can describe 2 possible magi

The first is the Weaver - One who has mastered the energy of an elemental plane and shapes one type of energy or influence better than others. He does this with a sort of master of the energy

The Second is the Devotee -One who covets and becomes one with the elemental force, an almost worshiper of the inner plane.

I think between the two, the Weaver, or whatever you want to call it is more of a prestige class, where as the Devotee or something is a much longer study meriting an alternate class variation to a arcane caster, or even its own class

I think I am more keen on the second variation. But both are intriguing